The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-09
HE SHOT TWO MEN.
Burt Ether, an ex-Deputy,
Distinguishes Himself.
THE TRAGEDY AT TINTIC.
Ether Refuses to TaIk-The Story
OF the Staying as Related by
Other Parties.

Provo, October ESPECIAL to The
HERALD Burt Ether, who was the
principal witness for the prosecution in
the late lynching case, in which num-
Der of Tintic men were concerned, shot
and killed Dan Cofey, and probably
fatally wounded Jim Donahue at Tintic
last.night, and is ia pris here. A HER
AID reporter came down in the after
noon and visited the prison to-day, but
Ether refused to talk. From other
Tintic men who are now here, the fol-
having particulars were obtained:
A. S. Ether is % years of age, and
was born in Salt Lake City. He stands
six feet high, and is rather muscular.
On account of his connection with, the
trial OF the lynchers, Dan Coffey, who
was one of them, made threats against
Ether, who went north and remained
until things had quieted down, when he
went to work at the Mammoth mine.
He stated in saloon that he knew
Coffey was one of the lynchers, and this
reaching Coffey's ears, caused consider
able bad feeling between the men,
Last Wednesday John Leach and Jim
| Donahue got on spree, and were dis
charged from the Mammoth. They
continued their spree, however, and on
the afternoon OF Friday last Ether took
Leach, Cotfeey and Donahue over to his
cabin, and then went out and purchased
bottle of whisky. This they drank,
and another bottle was obtained. Ether
drank very little. at about 5 o'clock
in the afternoon, Niels Johnson came
to the cabin, and Ether tried to sell
him pistol. While trying to make a
bargain, they went into the room where
Coffey and Donahue were, and Ether
laid the pistol down near the latter.
| Johnson left some time after, and
Leach asked Ather to read to them.
He complied and read three or four
the room and drank. at about
o'clock Donahue picked up the pistol,
and calling Either ID coward, for
some slight remark he had made,
snapped the pistol at him, but whether
in sport or not can only be conjectured.
Ether called Donahue a id coward
and told him to stop. At this Cofey
called Ether a Cd id s. of a b.,
and soon after made an excuse for go
ing into the next room where Ether
kept another pistols Ether kept close
watch on him, fearing that he would
shoot; Coffey returned Immediately,
said something to Ether, who started
towards him as he came through the
door; Cotfey showed the weapon before
him, and Ether grabbed it. As he did
so it was discharged. and he
wrenehed it from III Us hand
and pushing him, ~ ward the bed, shot
hin through the lead. Dynahue was
on the other side of the bed, and behind
Ether hoiting pistol in his hand and
as soon as he sbOt Coffey, Ether
turned quickly around and shot Dona-
hue through the tep of the head. Don
ahue Tell on the bed and dropped his
pistol.
During all this time, Leach was sit
ting or the bed, holding a candle in his
hand. The shooting put the candle
out, and as Leach re-lit it
he saw Ether pick up the pistol which
Donahue had drOppen. He exclaimed:
For Gods sake don't kill me-" Ether
saw that he was harmless, and did not
injure him. After the shooting Ether
left the cabin, and went 70 a saloon,
where he told what he had done. He
then went to Silver City, where he got
horse and rode to Santaquin, where
he found Deputy Marshal Dykes
on the train, to whom he gave himself
up, and was brought to Provo.
Coffsy was killed instantly: Donahue
is still alive. The former was 40 years
of age, and the latter 81. Neither leaves
family.
The examination is set for Monday.
w. H. Dickson has been engaged to de-
fend Ether: